The particle עוד oud, yet, or still, is not without weight; for the Prophet intimates, that if God had already punished the perfidy and wickedness
of the people, he still retained whole his right to do so, as though he had said, “Think not that you have suffered all
your punishment, though I have already severely visited your fathers for their wickedness and obstinacy; for as ye proceed
in the same course, and as there is no moderation nor limits to your sins, I will not desist from what I have a right to do,
but will punish to the last both you and your children, and all succeeding generations.” We now then understand what the Prophet
means.

It is indeed usual with hypocrites foolishly to cast off all fear, especially after having been once chastised by the Lord;
for they think it enough that they have suffered punishment for their sins; and they do not consider that God moderately punishes
the sins of men to invite others to repentance, and that he is in such a way sharp and severe as yet to restrain himself,
in order that there may be room for hope, and that they who have
sinned, while waiting for pardon, may thus more readily and willingly return to the right way. This is what hypocrites
do not consider; but they think that God on the first occasion expends all his rigor, and so they promise themselves impunity
as to the future. As for instance, — When God chastises a city, or a country, with war, pestilence, or famine, while the evils
continue there is dread and anxiety: most of those whom God thus afflicts sigh and groan, and even howl; but as soon as some
relaxation takes place, they shake off the yoke, and having no concern for their wickedness, they return again as dogs
to their vomit. It is hence necessary to declare to hypocrites what we see to have been done here by Jeremiah, — that God
so visits men for their sins, that in future he ceases not to pursue the same course, when he sees men so refractory as not
to profit under his scourges.

Still, therefore, he says: this threat no doubt exasperated the minds of the nation: for as they dared to clamor against God, as we find in
many places, and said that his ways were thorny, they spared not the prophets, and this we shall hereafter see: they indeed
gave the prophets an odious character; and what? “These prophets,” they
said, “chatter nothing else but burdens, burdens, as though God ever fulminated against us; it would be better to close
our ears than to be continually frightened by their words.” It must then have been a severe thing to the Jews, when the Prophet
said, Still God will contend with you But it was needful so to do.

Let us then learn from this passage, that whenever God reproves us, not only in words, but in reality, and reminds us of our
sins, we do not so suffer for one fault as to be free for the future, but that until we from the heart repent, he ever sounds
in our ears these words, Still God will contend with you: and a real contention is meant; for Jeremiah speaks not of naked doctrine, but intimates that the Jews were to be led before
God’s tribunal, because they ceased not to provoke his wrath:
3636Gataker thinks that it was verbal pleading: “It is as if he had said, ‘I have argued the case with your forefathers already, let me debate the matter a little
further with you, and let your posterity also consider well what I now say,‘ (see Deuteronomy 31:19, 21.) And so is the same word afterwards used for debating the case or pleading, verse 29 (Jeremiah 2:29).” Henry, Adam Clarke, and Blayney, take the same view; but
Scott seems to agree with Calvin The verb רוב, followed as it is here by את, ever means a verbal
dispute or contention. See Numbers 20:13; Nehemiah 13:11, 17; Proverb 25:9; Isaiah 45:9. — Ed
and he declares the same thing respecting their children and the third generation. It afterwards follows —

36Gataker thinks that it was verbal pleading: “It is as if he had said, ‘I have argued the case with your forefathers already, let me debate the matter a little
further with you, and let your posterity also consider well what I now say,‘ (see Deuteronomy 31:19, 21.) And so is the same word afterwards used for debating the case or pleading, verse 29 (Jeremiah 2:29).” Henry, Adam Clarke, and Blayney, take the same view; but
Scott seems to agree with Calvin The verb רוב, followed as it is here by את, ever means a verbal
dispute or contention. See Numbers 20:13; Nehemiah 13:11, 17; Proverb 25:9; Isaiah 45:9. — Ed